The Royal and the Doctor
by Sanura Bey
Summary: Katherine Anderson is your typical med student in 2019 just doing what she can to be at the top of her class. But everything changes when she's suddenly finding herself in Camelot. Now training as Gaius' apprentice, she has to navigate herself carefully through the lives of her favorite legends without screwing things up. Anyone got a map?


I stared down at the chart in front of me, doing my best to put symptoms with a diagnosis. I know since I'm a student I don't have to do that right now, but no harm in trying, right?

"Are you doing that thing again where you pretend you're a doctor?" one of my classmates, Josh, asked me. I glared at him before looking back down.

"Why can't I look at a fake chart and try to solve the problem?" I asked him.

"Because we're only med students?" he asked.

"But we won't be forever," I reminded him. A 27-year-old female with dizziness, pounding headaches, throat irritation, low-grade fever of 101.6. I thought about it a few more moments before smiling. "Got it."

"What?" Josh asked confused. We'd been instructed in our last class we'd talk about it tomorrow, but I think I figured it out. "How? You don't even have your book in front of you!"

"She has the flu," I told him with a smile before picking up my papers and putting them in my car.

I was about to climb in my car when out of the corner of my eye I saw a young woman with dark hair. She was staring at me in a strange red dress.

"Hello?" I called out to her. "Can I help you?"

"I think you can," she told her. She was suddenly in front of me making me gasp in shock and fear.

"Who are you?"

"We shall meet again, Katherine Anderson." With that said, she pushed me and I fell to the ground. It felt like I was falling for hours before hitting the ground and passing out from the pain.

* * *

Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot, stealthfully moved through the woods with a crossbow, following his current prey of choice. Out of nowhere, his manservant, Merlin, burst out of the trees and bumped into the prince just as he was about to shoot.

"What is it?" Merlin asked loudly.

"You really are a total buffoon, aren't you, Merlin?" Arthur complained angrily.

"I was just asking."

"Who? Me or the deer?!" Arthur pointed to where the stag had once been. "We're supposed to be hunting. It requires speed, stealth, and an agile mind."

"So you're able to get by on two out of three, then?" Arthur was about to retort when they heard a woman scream. "What was that?"

"Quiet." The pair listened to the forest for a moment.

"Please! Don't!"

"Help!" Arthur quickly grabbed his sword from Merlin and rushed towards the source is distress.

* * *

When they arrived, a man was laying on the ground as a bandit drew his sword to kill him and another person in a gold cloak struggled with three other bandits.

"No, no, I beg you! Mercy!" The man on the ground begged the bandit above him.

"Give us some money!"

"Help me! Help me!" The golden cloaked figure shouted. Arthur shot one of the robbers with his crossbow and the others all turned their attacks to him. The older man got up and held his traveling companion close while Arthur fought off the bandits. Merlin, meanwhile, watched on as they all attacked him. Seeing his moment, he muttered a spell causing a large tree branch to fall on top of one of the bandits trying to attack the prince from behind. Arthur killed the one in front of him before turning and seeing the other man dead on the ground. The last bandit, who'd threatened the older man before, turned and ran off. Arthur looked up at the tree where the branch had fallen in slight confusion.

"Stroke of luck."

"And let that be a lesson to you!" Merlin called out. Arthur turned and gave him a look. "What? I was covering your back." The prince rolled his eyes before turning to the pair in front of him.

"You alright? Did they hurt you?" Arthur asked the pair. The golden cloaked figure removed their hood to reveal a beautiful woman.

"No... Thanks to you. I'm Sophia. This is my father," she introduced.

"Arthur Pendragon... at your service." Arthur kissed Sophia's hand, dazzled by her beauty.

"Ugh... Arthur?" Merlin called to him looking close by. "You might want to see this." Arthur removed himself from the beauty in front of him to see an unconscious woman in strange clothes on the forest floor.

* * *

Later that day, Sophia and her father stood before the court in the Council Chamber presenting themselves before the king. The woman in strange garb was in Gaius' chambers waiting to be examined.

"My name is Aulfric, heir to Tír-Mòr. This is my daughter, Sophia," Aulfric introduced.

"You're a long way from home. What brings you to Camelot?" King Uther asked the man.

"Our home was sacked by raiders, We barely escaped with what few possessions we could carry," Aulfric told them. Sophia glanced at a smitten Arthur who was leaning on a pillar, watching her.

"These are dangerous times. What will you do?" the king asked him.

"We travel west to Caerleon where we have family and, I hope, a new life."

"You must stay here awhile," Uther insisted making Arthur look relieved by the news. "Break your journey. A noble family like yours is always welcome in Camelot." The pair left the chambers, but not before Sophia and Arthur shared a small smile making Merlin smile at his master.

* * *

I stirred in my sleep before my eyes flickered open. I looked around to see a strange room. It had stairs on one wall leading to what looked like a wall of papers.

"Look who's awake." I turned to see a man staring down at me with a comforting smile on his face.

"Where am I?" I asked him confused.

"You're in my chambers. My name is Gaius. Can you tell me who you are?"

"Katherine Anderson."

"Can you tell me where you're from?" he asked. I took notice of what he was wearing and looked around again.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Camelot. I'm the Court Physician." My mouth dropped.

"What did you just say?" I nearly jumped up at his words and he quickly tried to help me.

"You're in Camelot."

"Oh my god," I sighed putting my elbows on my knees and putting my head in my hands.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you," I sighed. Gaius sat next to me on the bed and I moved so he'd have more room.

"Try me." And I told him everything.

* * *

"The future?" Merlin asked Gaius after Gaius had told him the whole story.

"Or an alternate reality," I corrected with a laugh. "I'm stuck in a science fiction movie."

"What's that?" Merlin asked me.

"A headache." I sighed again. "I'm a med student and I'm almost done with school. What did I do to deserve this?"

"Med student?" Merlin asked confused.

"Medical. I was studying to be a doctor."

"You're a physician?" Gaius asked me.

"I was training to be one. Now that won't happen unless I'm able to go home," I sighed.

"Train under me," Gaius told me. "Train under me until you're able to go home."

"Is that allowed?" I asked him. "I mean Camelot, where I'm from, is just a bedtime story, but this isn't like what I know."

"We will try and get you home," Merlin promised.

"Until then, you can try and train under me." Gaius offered a smile and I sighed.

* * *

The next day, I was taken before the king as Gaius' student. Merlin had asked his friend Gwenevere (who was a servant? When did that happen?) to find me suitable dresses for my stay here.

"I've never heard you speaking of taking on a student before," King Uther said to Gaius.

"She mentioned she was a healer when she awoke and in need of a new mentor," Gaius told him.

"My son said they found you unconscious in the woods. Were you attacked?" he asked me. Gaius and Merlin had warned me that magic was illegal here, so me appearing out of nowhere was a bad thing for me.

"I was," It wasn't a complete lie. The woman had pushed me and I ended up here somehow. "A woman appeared out of nowhere and knocked me unconscious. That's when Prince Arthur and Merlin found me." He stared at me for a moment before nodding his head.

"Welcome to Camelot, Katherine." I took a deep breath of relief and smiled.

"Thank you, Sire." I bowed my head to him before leaving the room with Gaius.

* * *

Gaius immediately began teaching me about the different herbs he used and the potions he made for his patients. I made notes about the different herbs and what they did, what they'd do when mixed with other herbs, and when herbs to mix them with and not to mix them with. It was a lot to take in, but I managed to pick it up quickly. All this showed me though, is I had a lot more to learn. I was going over my notes and a book Gaius gave me while Gaius read his own. Of course, that was when Merlin walked in covered in rotten tomatoes.

"Have you been playing with your food again?" Gaius asked him making me laugh.

"The King put me in the stocks," Merlin told us.

"What'd you do this time?" Gaius asked and I looked between them.

"So this has happened before?" I asked.

"More often than it should," Gaius sighed.

"Nothing. Honestly, it wasn't my fault," Merlin told us while pouring water in a basin. "Arthur wanted to get out of going on patrol with Uther and the guard, so I covered for him and took the blame."

"And Arthur was prepared to let you do this?" Gaius asked him.

"It was his idea." My mouth fell open as Merlin washed his face.

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Nope," Merlin told me with a smile.

"And what made him neglect his duties?" Gaius asked him. "It must've been something terribly important."

"Sophia."

"The girl from the forest?" Gaius asked.

"He wanted to take her out for the day," Merlin told us while taking food out of his hair. "He is besotted."

"But they've only just met."

"I know. I guess it must have been love at first sight."

"Yes…I suppose it must be," Gaius said slowly.

"There's no such thing," I told them.

"You don't believe in love at first sight?" Merlin asked.

"I believe in lust at first sight," I told him. "Love is just a bunch of hormones in the body making people happy."

"You're a real sourpuss, aren't you?" Merlin asked and I shrugged my shoulders before going back to my book.

* * *

I was walking through the confusing corridors of this castle when I bumped into someone knocking me on the ground.

"Sorry," I sighed angrily.

"You alright?" I looked up into the bluest eyes I'd seen on a man's face.

"I will be once I learn where everything is in this place," I joked. He held his hand out to help me up and I took it. "Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled down at me and I shook my head. "What?"

"Nothing, just remembering a conversation with a... can I call someone a friend after only knowing them a day?" I asked him.

"I'd like to think so."

"Then a friend. He should be called a friend, he's letting me sleep in his room."

"Are you two...?"

"No!" My eyes widened at his thought process before laughing. "No. Merlin's just giving me his room until I have enough money to find my own place. Being close to Gaius' chambers make my learning his craft easier."

"Oh!" He said as if remembering something. "You're the woman we found in the woods yesterday."

"We?" I asked him confused.

"Sorry. I'm Arthur Pendragon." He held out his hand again with a charming half smile on his face.

"Katherine Anderson." I took his hand and shook it with a small smile of my own. "I've heard a bit about you."

"Should I be worried about Merlin's mouth?" he sighed and I laughed while shaking my head.

"No. He seems to have the highest opinion for you, and that stays between us because if he knew I told you he'd kill me."

"My lips are sealed."

"Um, I should be going back to Gaius' chambers." I turned and started walking away before stopping and turning to him. "I have no idea where I'm actually going."

"Allow me," he chuckled and I hit him slightly.

"Be nice."

* * *

I was adding herbs to a potion the next day when Merlin walked in covered in food again.

"Not again Merlin, surely?" Gaius almost begged.

"You would think that the appeal of pelting the same person with fruit would wear off after a while, but, oh, no!" Merlin said immediately going to the basin to wash the food off.

"I heard that Arthur wasn't at the knighting ceremony," Gaius told him.

"Yeah." Merlin poured water in the basin. "He wanted to make the most of his time left with Sophia."

"That seems irresponsible," I chimed in.

"You helped him?" Gaius asked.

"I'm his servant, I had to," Merlin told him.

"Abuse of power as well," I mumbled knowing they could still hear me. "Not much of a prince is he? Even if he is a looker."

"She's right. You shouldn't have done that, Merlin," Gaius told him causing Merlin to look up confused. "I fear that Sophia may not be all that she seems."

"Why?"

"What do you know about seers?" Gaius asked rising from his desk to move around it.

"Not much. They're…supposed to be able to see the future, like prophets?" Merlin guessed.

"Except it's an ability they're born with," I added. "Prophets use things like smoke, fire, etc to see the future. Seers are born being able to see what prophets could only dream of."

"Correct," Gaius nodded at me. "Some aren't even aware that what they see is the future. It comes to them in their dreams." Gaius explained sitting on a bench on the other side of his desk.

"What's this got to do with Sophia?" Merlin asked him confused.

"The night before she and Aulfric came to Camelot, Morgana had a dream. Sophia was in it," Gaius explained.

"Before she arrived in Camelot?" Merlin asked surprised.

"I've been watching Morgana since she was very young. And though I tried to persuade myself otherwise, I realized that some of the things she said she'd dreamt came to pass," Gaius explained while Merlin moved to sit next to him. "I kept it secret from Uther, of course. The gift of prophecy is too close to the work of magic."

"You think Morgana is a seer?" Merlin asked him.

"I don't think it. I fear it. Morgana said she dreamt that Sophia killed Arthur," Gaius told him.

"Couldn't that have just been a dream? Maybe the- the woman Morgana saw just looked like Sophia," Merlin guessed.

"That'd be too much of a coincidence," I told him.

"But it's what I hoped as well," Gaius told me. "But Aulfric caught me in Sophia's room and, in a flash of anger, his eyes changed color."

"Who are they?" Merlin asked him.

"It's not who they are that worries me. It's what they want with Arthur."

"But if you know who they are it could tell you what they want with your prince," I said before going back to the potions I was working on.

* * *

Later that night, Merlin had followed Aulfirc and returned of news of what he'd seen. A shining city in a lake and small blue flying people.

"Avalon," Gaius gasped once Merlin had described everything to him. "What you saw at the lake, it's Avalon. It must be…"

"What's..." Merlin started asking, but Gaius answered before he could.

"The land of eternal youth. Mortals are only supposed to glimpse it the moment before death."

"Well, I've seen it and I'm still here."

"That probably because you had magic to help you," I reminded him. "Some of us don't."

"Extraordinary. What did it look like?" Gaius asked Merlin curiously.

"Does it matter? They're going to sacrifice Arthur and we don't even know who "they" are yet," Merlin reminded us.

"We do now." Gaius moved to his desk where I was standing and a book was sitting on top of it. "I found writing like this on the top of Aulfric's staff. It's Ogham, an ancient script. Abas ocus bithe. Duthectad bithlane. "To hold life and death in your hands." From the writing on his staff and what you saw at the lake, I'm afraid I'm now certain. We're dealing with the Sidhe."

"That does not sound like a good thing," Merlin sighed.

"Even where I come from they're not," I told him. "It was said the Sidhe would lure men to their deaths in many ways, but there was always a mention of two courts. Dark and Light. Unseelie and Seelie."

"They're masters of enchantment," Gaius added

"You think Arthur's been enchanted?" Merlin asked him.

"Almost certainly. I'm afraid Morgana's dream is coming true."

* * *

Early the next morning, I stood next to Gaius in the council chambers as Arthur stood before his father, Sophia at his side and her father standing just behind them. The king was reading documents with, who I was told, Morgana sitting at his side. Merlin had told me that Uther had taken Morgana in when her father died when she was 10. Back home, legends mentioned Morgan Le Fay, aka Morgana, who was actually Arthur's sister. Could this be the same woman?

"I request this audience, Father, to discuss a matter of great importance," Arthur said as Merlin finally joined Gaius and I. "It cannot have escaped your attention that I and Lady Sophia Tír-Mòr have grown very close."

"Not too close, I hope," The king teased.

"We're in love." Uther and Morgana exchanged a look at the prince's words. "Which is why I come before you today to ask your permission to marry."

"I assume you're joking," Uther laughed.

"No. I'm going to marry her," Arthur insisted.

"But you only met two days ago," Uther reminded him.

"We're in love."

"In love? We had no idea that you were such a romantic had we, Morgana?" Uther asked turning to the beauty beside him.

"No," she replied. "He's full of surprises."

"I'm going to marry her. I don't care what either of you think about it," Arthur told him.

"I thought you'd come to ask my permission?" Uther asked.

"Out of courtesy, nothing more." Arthur turned, taking his "beloved's" hand in his before walking to the door.

"Guards, door." The guards moved their spears in front of the trio so they couldn't leave. "You've forgotten whose court you're standing in." Uther rose from his throne and stared down his son.

"You won't stop me. If I want to marry her, I will," Arthur said turning back to his father in anger.

"Arrest Sophia and Aulfric Tír-Mòr…" Uther started and the guards stepped forward.

"What are you doing?"

"…and inform the executioner his services will be required tomorrow morning."

"You can't do this."

"Yes! I can! And unless you show me some respect I will!" Uther shouted at him. Arthur reluctantly bowed his head, conceding to his father. "Release them. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Sophia is no doubt your first love, but she certainly won't be the only one. Enjoy yourself while you can."

* * *

That night, I was putting away the last of the herbs Gaius and I had used that day when Morgana rushed into the room.

"He's gone! Arthur's gone with her! She's taken him!"

"Slow down," Gaius said trying to calm the young woman.

"I know you don't believe me, but I'm so sure it's going to happen. My dream's going to come true." Gaius and I shared a small look.

"I do believe you," Gaius told her.

"I've got to tell Uther." Morgana turned to leave when, but I stood in front of her.

"You tell the king and he will kill you for using magic," I reminded her. "Even when you aren't."

"I've got to do something if I don't then Arthur will die," she reminded me.

"You can't tell Uther about your dream. If Uther thinks you've got the seers' power, he'll charge you with witchcraft," Gaius repeated.

"I don't have a choice. I couldn't live with myself knowing I'd let him die."

"We've known each other a long time, you trust me don't you?" Gaius asked her.

"Yes, you know I do."

"Then trust me now. Stay here and don't say a word to anyone about this," Gaius told her.

"But Arthur..."

"I'll take care of it." Gaius moved past her towards me.

"Where are you going?"

"To find someone who can help." He ushered me out the door before closing it behind us.

* * *

He rushed to where Gaius thought Merlin would be only for us to find him on the ground.

"Merlin! What happened to you?" Gaius asked kneeling next to him.

"Aulfric," Merlin told us before looking around. "Where's Arthur? I have got to go after him. What's that buzzing noise?" Gaius and I helped him to his feet.

"Careful, Merlin, you can barely stand up."

"I have to go."

"You can't, not in this state. You owe it to your powers that you survived this at all," Gaius reminded him.

"I'll be fine, he needs me," Merlin insisted.

"Has that buzzing stopped?" Gaius asked.

"Yeah."

"Liar."

"I have to go, Gaius. He'll die if I don't," Merlin reminded him.

"The Sidhe are a vicious people. You must be careful," Gaius warned.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Merlin told him before walking towards the window.

"Merlin?" Gaius pointed to the door. "This way."

"Just testing."

"I'm going with you," I told him.

"No, it's not safe," Merlin tried.

"You were unconscious for who knows how long, hearing a buzzing noise, and can't orient yourself. I'm not letting you go out there alone," I told him.

"Gaius," Merlin looked at the older man for help.

"Be safe," he told us. "Both of you." Merlin sighed before leading me out of the castle and through the forest as quickly as we could run.

* * *

When we arrived, we saw Sophia in the water with her hand above it and Aulfirc standing at the lake edge with his staff in hand. Sophia's staff was laying behind him on the ground. There was no way we could get to it without Aulfric noticing.

"Onbregdan." Except that way maybe. The staff flew into Merlin's hand and Aulfirc noticed us. Merlin pointed the staff at Aulfric. "Swilte, gold beorþ." A bolt of light hit the man and he exploded in screams.

"Father! No! No!" Sophia tried to run towards us, but Merlin pointed the staff at her.

"Óga ceoles." Another bolt of light hit her and she followed her father into death. Merlin and I took off for the lake trying to peer into its depths for the prince. "Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!" I held my breath before diving under to find the prince. I looked all around me before having to go back up to the surface for air. I repeated the cycle once more before Merlin broke the surface with Arthur in his hands. We drug him ashore and I tried to find a pulse.

"He's alive," I told him with a smile. I placed my hand on his chest and my smile fell. He wasn't breathing. I cocked his head back slightly to open his airway, plugged his nose with my fingers, and breathed into his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Merlin asked confused and shocked.

"His heart is still pumping, but he must have gotten water in his lungs from the lake," I explained before giving him more air. "I'm trying to help him breathe." I continued giving him the kiss of life before he coughed up the water from his lungs but remained asleep.

"You did it!" Merlin said excitedly.

"Time to get him home.

* * *

Early that morning, I was sitting between Gaius and Merlin in Arthur's chambers when he finally started to wake up.

"Arthur? Arthur?" Merlin called to him.

"What happened? Where am I?" Arthur groaned.

"Can you remember anything?" Merlin asked him.

"Oh! Oh my head! There was a girl. No, two girls. Sophia, she...I asked my father something about her, I asked him..." He bolted up in bed as the memory came back to him. "What was I thinking?"

"Well, we did wonder. Especially when you eloped with her last night," Merlin added to the story.

"I did what?"

"Katherine and Merlin had to bring you back to Camelot," Gaius told him.

"I don't recall any of this," Arthur told us.

"Must've been some blow."

"What blow?" Arthur asked confused.

"Well…er…when I caught up with you, I couldn't persuade you to return, you were beyond reason. So I had to make you," Merlin told him.

"You managed to knock me out?" Arthur asked giving him a look.

"I'm sure the tree you got knocked into helped," I added. "It's a good thing I was there to make sure he didn't hurt you further."

"He only did it to bring you back safely," Gaius reminded Arthur. Arthur plopped back in bed before jumping up and pointing his finger in our faces.

"No one…can know about this," he ordered. "Any of it. Is that understood?" The three of us shared a look before nodding our heads. Arthur plopped back down and fell back asleep.

* * *

That afternoon, we stood before the king again with Arthur standing ahead of all of us.

"When you failed to show up for patrol this morning, I feared you'd eloped with Sophia in a fit of passion," Uther told him. Arthur turned towards us for a moment before turning back to his father.

"I…I wish he had. Because then I wouldn't be stood in front of you feeling like an idiot... again," Merlin told him.

"This is becoming a near daily occurrence for you," Uther mentioned.

"But there was a mistake. And I would not say it was anyone's fault." Arthur gave him a look. "Not…not really. Erm,..you…you could say it was mine."

"Could somebody tell me what happened?"

"Well..." Merlin started.

"Someone with a brain."

"After Sophie left, I advised Prince Arthur to do something he found relaxing and enjoyable to take his mind off her," I told him.

"So I went for a hunt," Arthur said filling in the blank.

"And killing things mends a broken heart?" Morgana asked him confused.

"No, but it's good fun. Merlin was meant to inform you that I wouldn't be back till later today," Arthur told him.

"Have you some kind of mental affliction?" Uther asked Merlin.

"Probably."

"We're looking into it, Sire," Gaius told him.

"Well, I hope for our sake you find a cure. Or we'll find ourselves with a food shortage on our hands."

"Food shortage…" Merlin laughed before realizing what he meant.

* * *

I was walking through the halls, trying to find my way back to Gaius' chambers when a woman ran up to me.

"Wait!" she called out to me so I stopped and turned to her. "You're Katherine, right?"

"I am," I said slowly.

"I'm Gwenevire, but most people call me Gwen." She held out her hand for me to shake and I did. Still not getting over that the future queen of Camelot is a servant. "Merlin told me you were staying with him and Gaius?"

"I don't exactly have family here," I laughed lightly. "Or a place of my own so they've been kind enough to house me.

"If you'd like, you can live with me," she offered. "It's not much, but it's a place to stay until you find one of your own."

"That's very kind of you. Thank you." I smiled at her before she helped me find Gaius' chambers.


End file.
